138: The real them

The woman on the left wore an ice-blue dress, with a cool temperament and an unyielding sense of detachment in her brows.

She held a white jade tray, on which sat a pot of cold tea and two exquisite ice-crystal teacups.

It was his Seventh Disciple, Mu Qingxue.

Walking beside her was Gu Qiuyue, dressed in luxurious purple robes.

She wore a gentle and appropriate smile, her steps composed, and in her hand, she carried a food box from which wafted the sweet scent of pastries.

The two of them walked naturally out of the bamboo forest and saw Su Lin and Luo Ximei in the courtyard, without a hint of surprise on their faces.

Mu Qingxue's gaze, as it swept over Luo Ximei, dropped a few more degrees in temperature.

And the smile on Gu Qiuyue's face, upon seeing Luo Ximei's hand tightly clutching Su Lin's arm, froze for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

"Revered Master, you've returned."

Gu Qiuyue spoke first, her voice gentle, with just the right amount of joy.

"Seventh Junior Sister and I have just prepared clear tea and pastries for you; you must be tired from your journey, so you can rest your feet."

Mu Qingxue said nothing, merely placing the tray on the stone table in the courtyard, gently taking out the tea set, and beginning to brew tea.

The ice-crystal teacups clinked against the white jade teapot, producing a crisp sound.

This scene was too mundane, too peaceful.

So peaceful that the alarm bells in Luo Ximei's heart went off at their highest.

"Who are you?"

Luo Ximei stepped forward, shielding Su Lin behind her, her Great Perfection of Body Integration Stage Devilish Qi poised, her sharp eyes scrutinizing the two people before her.

"How did Fifth Senior Sister get here? Didn't you leave seclusion early and run off by yourself?

Why aren't you staying in your Myriad Demon Palace? How do you have time to bring Revered Master here?"

Mu Qingxue raised her eyelids, her cool gaze sweeping over Luo Ximei, "Revered Master's place of quiet cultivation is not somewhere just anyone can bring people."

These two sentences instantly ignited the flames in Luo Ximei's heart.

What did she mean by "not just anyone can bring people"?

What did she mean by "not staying in your Myriad Demon Palace"?

Why were they pointing fingers at her with such a self-righteous tone?

Luo Ximei's voice turned cold, "You two, uninvited, yet acting like Revered Masters of the house, don't you find it ridiculous?"

She tightened her grip on Su Lin's arm even more, pulling him closer to her in a gesture of claiming ownership.

Su Lin gently patted her hand, signaling her to calm down. He looked at Mu Qingxue and Gu Qiuyue before him, already understanding in his heart.

The scene before him was not some malicious illusion, nor was it a trap designed to attack his mind.

It simply materialized Su Lin's deepest desire, one he himself had never easily touched.

There was no rivalry, no pathological possessiveness.

His disciple were simply waiting for him to come home, like family, to brew him a pot of tea and prepare a plate of pastries.

"Fifth Senior Sister, you're speaking as if we're strangers."

Gu Qiuyue's smile remained unchanged. She placed the food box on the stone table, taking out plates of exquisite osmanthus cakes and lotus seed pastries, arranging them neatly.

"Revered Master is the Revered Master of all of us. He can go wherever he wants and see whoever he wants."

Her words were gentle, gracefully deflecting Luo Ximei's possessive accusation.

"Exactly," Mu Qingxue pushed a cup of cold tea towards Su Lin, her clear voice filled with pure concern.

"Revered Master is tired from his travels and needs quiet recuperation."

Her gaze fell on Luo Ximei, the meaning in her eyes unmistakable.

The Devilish Qi on your body will make Revered Master uncomfortable.

"Quiet recuperation?" She took a step forward, Devilish Qi surging around her, dispelling all the sweet fragrance from the pastries on the stone table and the cold Qi emanating from the tea.

"You two hiding here are quite leisurely.

Do you know how many dangers Revered Master just experienced?

And what have you done for Revered Master?"

"Revered Master's safety is, of course, always on our minds."

Gu Qiuyue was unfazed. She picked up an osmanthus cake and brought it to Su Lin's mouth, her movements incredibly natural, "But we trust Revered Master's abilities even more.

Moreover, the Master-Seeking Alliance's informants are spread across the continent, and Qingyao Sect's swords have never slackened. As long as Revered Master needs us, we can clear all obstacles for him at any time."

"As for you, Fifth Senior Sister," she changed her tone, looking at Luo Ximei,

"forcibly bringing Revered Master into such a deadly place, making him risk his life, is this your way of showing filial piety?"

Su Lin did not eat the osmanthus cake, nor did he stop their conversation.

He just watched and listened quietly.

He knew that everything before him was fake.

This Gu Qiuyue was not the merchant who controlled the continent's economic lifeline.

This Mu Qingxue was not the Qingyao Sect Revered Master who could freeze a thousand miles with a single thought and keep people at bay.

They were merely the most perfect templates of disciple in his heart.

Well-read and reasonable, gentle and considerate, always thinking of Revered Master, with minor competition between sisters yet maintaining superficial harmony.

But precisely because he knew it was fake, an inexpressible bitterness welled up in Su Lin's heart.

He looked at the focused profile of the illusory Mu Qingxue as she poured tea for him, the exhaustion of her hundred years alone, guarding Qingyao Sect, slaying countless imposters.

He looked at the gentle appearance of the illusory Gu Qiuyue arranging pastries for him, recalling her kneeling before him, crying about her low cultivation and her feelings of being a failure.

The perfection before him contrasted most sharply with the cruel reality.

"My affairs are not for you to lecture me about."

Luo Ximei's Devilish Qi grew even more solid, "You two imposters, what exactly are you?

Are you the array spirits of this ghostly place, or some low-grade Essence Spirit?"

Just as Luo Ximei was about to make a move, on the other side of the courtyard, the bamboo forest rustled without wind, and two more figures slowly walked out, making this already eerie peaceful scene even more complete.

Walking in front was Ye You, still barefoot, but the raw wildness and dominance about her had greatly receded.

Beside her followed a Spirit Beast, entirely snow-white and resembling a young Qilin, which gently rubbed against her leg, showing no fierceness.

Following behind her was Chu Weiwei.

She wore a moon-white dress, her aura sacred, holding a small medicinal furnace from which wafted an invigorating fragrance.

Her gaze at Su Lin was one of pure concern, without any pathological pleading.

"Revered Master, I found a young Snow Qilin Beast for you. Its heart blood is a treasure for nourishing the Divine Soul, but don't worry,

Xiao You has already tamed it, and it is very willing to offer its essence blood to you."

Ye You's voice was clear and lively like a young girl's. She patted the Snow Qilin's head, and the Spirit Beast obediently walked to Su Lin's feet, rubbing its head against his clothes.

"Revered Master, Weiwei has refined a Medicinal Pill for calming the mind and consolidating the spirit for you."

Chu Weiwei also walked over. She opened the medicinal furnace, took out a crystal-clear Medicinal Pill emitting a moon-white glow, and presented it with both hands.

"This Medicinal Pill is mild in nature and most suitable for you to regulate your body now.

Rest assured, all the medicinal ingredients were personally cultivated by Weiwei, and there will be no side effects whatsoever."

At this, Luo Ximei was completely stunned.

She looked at these four Senior Sisters before her, each one flawlessly perfect.

They each displayed their strengths: one prepared tea, one made pastries, one found a Spirit Beast, and one refined Medicinal Pills. All their actions revolved around one core purpose: to make Revered Master feel comfortable and at ease.

There wasn't even any conflict between them. Gu Qiuyue smiled as she offered a plate of spiritual fruits to Ye You's Snow Qilin, while Mu Qingxue paired Chu Weiwei's Medicinal Pill with cold spring water that could enhance its efficacy.

And she, Luo Ximei, stood in the midst of this scene, gripping her long whip, radiating incongruous Devilish Qi and killing intent, becoming a complete outsider.

"Fifth Senior Sister, we know you are unwilling."

Gu Qiuyue's face even showed a hint of pity, "You think we are fake simply because you cannot accept that what Revered Master most wishes to see is us getting along harmoniously like this."

"What did you say?!"

This sentence accurately struck Luo Ximei's sore spot.

What she was most proud of was her unreserved love for Revered Master.

But now, this love was being defined as trouble by these two imposters.

The dark red long whip, Bound God, appeared in her hand, and intense killing intent locked onto the two figures before her.

He did not stop Luo Ximei, but instead reached out and took the osmanthus cake that was lingering by his mouth, putting it into his mouth.

The fragrance of osmanthus and the soft stickiness of the rice cake melted in his mouth, tasting exactly like Gu Qiuyue's cooking from his memory.

His action caused a momentary pause in the tense atmosphere.

Luo Ximei's killing intent froze, and she looked at Su Lin with some disbelief.

Revered Master... why would he eat something made by an imposter?

The illusory Gu Qiuyue's smile deepened. She offered Su Lin another cup of tea, "Revered Master, take your time, don't choke."

Su Lin took the teacup but did not drink.

He merely held the warm teacup in his hand, feeling the warmth emanating from his palm.

He looked up, his gaze passing over the stone table to the two perfect illusions, and spoke calmly: "You are not them."

At these words, both illusions paused in their movements.

"Revered Master, why do you say that?"

A very subtle stiffness appeared in the illusory Gu Qiuyue's smile.

"When Xiao Qi brewed tea for me, she would habitually touch the rim of the cup with her fingertips to test if the temperature suited me. You didn't do that."

Su Lin looked at Mu Qingxue.

"Qiu Yue, when she makes osmanthus cakes, she never fills the entire plate.

Because she says that pastries are about refinement, eating until you're half full and leaving a lingering taste is the best. You filled it completely."

He paused, then continued: "More importantly, the way they look at me wouldn't be as empty as yours."

No matter how vividly the two illusions before him mimicked their words and actions,

in the depths of their eyes, there was none of the profound, unforgettable feeling of being reunited after a hundred years of longing and pain.

They were merely perfect programs, executing the command to "be a good disciple."

"It seems nothing can be hidden from Revered Master."

After being exposed, Gu Qiuyue's smile finally vanished.

She exchanged glances with Mu Qingxue, and the aura around them changed.

The gentleness and coolness faded, replaced by a pure peacefulness that Su Lin had never seen before.

"We are indeed not them."

"Our existence has only one purpose."

The illusory Mu Qingxue continued, "which is to present you with the world you most wish to see,

a world without any strife, without any pain."

She extended her hand, pointing to Luo Ximei beside her, her voice devoid of any emotion: "Here, you don't have to worry about balancing their relationships,

you don't have to bother with the troubles they cause, and you certainly don't have to... be bound by the heavy, suffocating love she carries."

"You just need to sit here, and we will handle everything for you."

"You just need to accept it."

These words were filled with ultimate temptation.

It was like the sweetest dream, promising Su Lin an outcome he most desired, yet could never obtain in reality.

Luo Ximei's heart sank.

Su Lin did not answer immediately.

He placed the teacup back on the stone table and stood up.

He walked to the bamboo forest at the edge of the courtyard, extended his hand, and gently stroked the joint of a green bamboo stalk.

The touch was cool and real; he could even feel the vitality contained within the bamboo.

"What you said is indeed very beautiful."

Su Lin's voice was soft, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"So beautiful... that for a moment, I truly wanted to stay."

These words made Luo Ximei's body tremble slightly.

The faces of the two illusions showed expressions of impending victory.

"However," Su Lin turned around, looking at them calmly, "you've got one thing wrong."

"My disciple are not perfect puppets without Souls like you."

He looked at Luo Ximei, who was still tense, his eyes softening slightly.

"My Fifth Disciple, she is indeed obsessive, possessive, and sometimes does things that give me a headache.

But her love is real.

For me, she would not hesitate to stand against the entire world.

She would feel heartache if I were injured, and happiness from a single word from me.

She has flesh and blood, she cries and laughs, she gets jealous, she gets angry."

He paused, then turned his gaze to the four illusions.

"My Sixth Disciple, she is indeed insecure, but she is also strong enough.

She spent a hundred years, with her own hands, building a vast commercial Empire, just to have the power to find me.

Her achievements are not something you, who can only make pastries, can compare to."

"My Seventh Disciple, she is indeed aloof and not good with words. But she is also persistent enough."

"My Fourth Disciple, her Bloodline destined her for loneliness and brutality,

but she also used this power to protect herself, and even more, to protect the filial affection she held for me in her heart."

"My Third Disciple, to find me, she did not hesitate to turn herself into a medicine person, enduring inhuman pain.

Her love may be twisted, but that obsession is the purest thing in this world."

"Every single one of them has flaws, scars, and is imperfect."

"But it is precisely these imperfections that make them who they truly are."

Su Lin walked back to the stone table step by step. He looked at the four illusions, who were now expressionless.

"What I want is not your kind of fake perfection."

"What I want is them.

The ones who give me headaches, who make me worry,

but who also make me proud—the real them."

"This dream is indeed very beautiful."